Military should adopt technology faster, admiral tells AFCEA West

By Dawn S. Onley

Jan 18, 2002

SAN DIEGO'The military needs to improve its acquisition process and the speed with which it implements new technologies, the commander of the Pacific Command says.

'The pace of change of IT is good,' Adm. Dennis C. Blair said in a keynote address last week at the AFCEA West 2002 conference. 'Not so good is the rate at which armed forces turn technology into real capabilities.'

Blair said the military has developed advanced technology but has not taken the next step'to provide that technology to warfighters.

This has led to missed opportunities and wasted money as the military tries to rid the world of terrorists through Operation Enduring Freedom.

Blair added that the Defense Department's acquisition process does not reflect the national emphasis on interoperability among the services. He said services conduct their acquisitions individually, then must operate together using incompatible systems.

DOD must focus on fixing such problems quickly, Blair said.'Certain areas need to be refined to help new technologies reach warfighters quicker,' he said. 'They include experimenting more and frequent joint and combined exercises that involve the use of new technologies.'